Gyll Bates

Owner/Director (JC)/Instructor/Choreographer

As the owner and director of Bates Dance Studios, Gyll has taught every type of dance offered at our studios. She has been dancing and teaching for over forty years. Gyll's love of dance began at an early age. She studied dance near her home in Ohio and during the summers in New York with renowned teachers such as Luigi, Jack Stanley, Ernest Carlos, Ron Daniels, and Marilyn Taylor (sister of June Taylor who choreographed for the Jackie Gleason Show). She has taken tap, ballet, pointe, jazz, twirling, and tumbling.

Gyll first began teaching dance in her home in Ohio at the age of twelve. By 18, she was running her own studio. She then taught in Mexico for two years before moving to Kansas, where she taught at the Manhattan High School and at Kansas State University. She started the Manhattan studio in her basement in 1975. It has now grown into the current professional studio at 731 McCall Road and has expanded into Junction City, Kansas. Gyll currently teaches at both of our studios. She danced professionally at Summer Stock with the Kennley Players in Warren, Ohio.

Gyll's other great accomplishments include the choreography for show choirs and thirteen musicals, both at Manhattan High School and Arts in the Park. In addition, Gyll founded the Pridettes dance team at Kansas State University (now known as the Classy Cats) and directed them for eleven years.

Gyll received a B.S. in Education with an emphasis in Physical Education from Youngstown University.